Method and apparatus for shellacking timing-rings of shrapnel-fuses.



E. B. LONG.

METHOD AND APPARATUS Foa SHELL/mmm; HMING RINGS or SHRAPNEL FusEs.APPLICATION FILED SE11'.19| 1916.

. Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

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arfozucq E. B. LONG.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHELLACKING TIMING RINGS 0F SHRAPNEL FUSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9, I9I6.

1,291,949. Patented 131121, 1919.

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E. B. LONG.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FUR. SHELLACKING TIIVIING RINGS 0F SHRAPNEL FUSES,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9. 15H6.

1,991,949. Patented 1111.211919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- E. B. LONG.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHELLACKING TIMING RINGS 0F SHHAPNEL FUSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9. 1916- 1,291,949. Patented Jan. 21,1919.

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A @Of/2% ELLIS B. LONG, OF MOUNT WASHINGTON, MARYLAND.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHELLACKING TIMING-RINGS 0F SHRAPNEL-FUSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application filed September 19, 1916. Serial No. 121,076.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIS B. LONG, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in Mount Washington, Baltimore county, Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatusfor Shellacking Timing- Rings of Shrapnel-Fuses, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for shellackingtiming rings for shrapnel fuses. The rings, as is, well known, have eacha circular groove concentric with the axis of the ring. This groove isfilled with powder which is Apressed hard and the metal and powderturned up to a flat surface. The powder surface of each ring is opposedto the metal surface of the .other with felt Washer interposed. A `holeis bored through the felt and the metal from the surface of the ring tothe groove and this hole is filled with a powder pellet. The powder atthe end of one groove is ignited by a primer which is exploded when theshell reaches a certain speed, usually at the muzzle of gun. .The powderin the ring burns at a predetermined rate until it reaches the hole inthe next ring when the spark passes through to that ring. The powder inthis ring burns until combustion is communicated to the explosivecharge.

The rings are so mounted on the fuse body that they may be rotatedrelatively to each other and are marked with a graduation of units ineither time or distance to indicate their relative position. The periodbetween the time the shrapnel passes the muzzle of the gun and theinstant it explodes is determined more or less accurately by the angularposition of the rings which is indicated by the graduation.

To prevent absorption of water by the powder which has a hydroscopictendency, the exposed flat surface of the powder is shellacked beforethe rings are taken out of the room wherey they are filled and turned,

the atmosphere within the room being kept very dry for this purpose.Then the rings are removed to another room of any convenient temperatureand humidity, etc., and finished, the holes bored, etc., and anothercoat of shellac and a thin paper cover applied to the shellackedsurface. Vhen the timing apparatus operates, particularly when the pointof combustion passes from the groove of one ring to the groove of thenext, it must pass through the coating of shellac at the registeringpoints, and the thickness of the coating thus adects the timing of theshell. In order that this may be accurately predetermined, the coatingmust be as nearly as possible uniform; in fact, the shrapnel cannot betimed with any considerable degree of accuracy unless the shellaccoating is uniform to a minute degree in all instances. Thespecifications allow from one to two thousandths of an inch variation inthe thickness of the finished ring, but still greater accuracy than thisis necessary in the shellac coating in order that the shrapnel may beaccurately timed.

It is extremely difficult and costly to attempt to accomplish the layingof shellac with a suflicient degree of accuracy by hand or by anypreviously known apparatus but this application discloses a method and amachine for this purpose by which these rings are coated in largenumbers with great rapidity and absolute accuracy as to the thickness ofthe coating.

The machine inthe embodiment to be described herein consists of a rotarytable with a plurality of seats or apertures arranged in a circleconcentric with the axis. Beneath the table isa pot or other receptaclefor shellac and a belt on suitable pulleys, one of which is immediatelybeneath the path of the seats and the other of which is in thereceptacle near the bottom of the shellac so that the belt is submergedin the shellac for two-thirds or three-fourths of its length, keepingthe shellac on the belt dissolved and of uniform consistency.

As the belt emerges from the shellac, it passes between two parallelknife edges one of which scrapes the shellac from the side of the beltin contact with the rollers and the other of which is'spaced slightlyfrom the outer surface of the belt leaving a thin but uniform coating.One of the rollers, preferably the upper one, is driven giving the belta speed equal to that of the adjacent portion of the table and the partsare so spaced that the belt in passing over the upper roller comes incontact with each ring as it passes the roller and, the surface speed ofthe belt being equal to the speed at which the ring is traveling, thereis no brushing or rubbing of one part over the other but the two partsmeet in rolling contact and a uniform coating of shellac is deposited oneach ring. Y

For convenience in handling vthe rings, there is an automatic device forfeeding and afliXing them one at a time to the holders or clutches, anda device for disengaging them after they have been treated and carryingthem out of the machine.

The method consists in maintaining a coating of shellac of uniformthickness and consistency on acoating member and applying this coatingmember by rolling contact and Without brushing or rubbing to the surfaceof the timing ring.

In the accompanying drawings, l have illustrated thev machine embodyingmy intention in s far as it relates to the apparatus. This machine alsoserves to illustrate the method of my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan ofthe machine;

Fig. 2 is an elevation;

Fig. 3 is another elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan and Fig. a vertical section on the line', 5 of Fig. 4,showing the feeding apparatus;

Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations of the take-oftl apparatus, one lookingoutward in the direction of the radius and the other taken parallel tothe radius of the table;

Fig. S shows a carrier plug; and

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9, 9 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, each of which is used to indicatethe same or similar parts in the different figures, the machine shownconsists of a rotary table 1, pro vided with a plurality of carriers 2for the rings,la pot or container 3 for shellac, a belt 4 dipping1 inthe shellac for approximately two-thirds, three-fourths or more of itslength, and mounted on pulleys 5 in the shellac pot near the bottom and6 beneath the path of the carriers and in contactwith the carrier ring2, with means for drivingl the table and the belt so that the surfacespeed at the adjacent points is equal or means for adjusting the speedof each, andV means for scraping the shellac from the inside ofthe beltand equalizing the coating deposited on the outside of the belt.

ln the form of the invention shown, the driving means consists of amotor 7 on the shaft of which is a pulley 3 driving a belt 9 which inturn drives a pulley 10 on the main shaft 11 to which-are keyed a pairof disks 12 and 13 mounted to slide along the shaft and thrust yapart bya spring 14. rlhese disks are flatV as to their outer faces, e., thefaces which are remote from each other and Vengaged as to these faces byfriction rollers or pulleys 15 and 16, each mounted on a shaft 17, 18parallel Vte the flat surfaces ofthe disks 12 and 13 and transverse tothe shaft shafts 19 and 2O` mounted in suitable bear- 70 Vingsl beneaththe table, each carrying a disk 21, 22 having a flat surface engaged bythe adjacent friction roller or pulley 15, 16. The two disks 12 and 13being on the same shaft rotate in the same direction; the frictionpulley and the rollers 15 and 16 being on opposite sides of the disks 12and 13 rotate oppositely and as they in turn engage respectively theopposed faces of the disks 21 and 22, these disks are rotated in thesame direction. The disk 21 drives a pulley 23 and the disk 22 drives apulley 24y carried on a shaft 20. rhe pulley 23 in turn drives by meansof a belt 23', a pulley 25 carrying the pulley 6 which drivesv the belt4. The pulley 24 drives a pulley 27 by means of a belt 28, the shaft 29of the pulley 27 being vertical, while v the shaft is horizontal, thesepulleys being grooved to provide for the guidance of the belt. The shaft29 carries a pulley 30 over which passes a belt 31 which, as shown,engages a peripheral groove in the table so that motion is impartedsimultaneously to the table 1 and the belt 4, the y speed cf each beingapproximately equaland Q5 adjustable by sliding the friction rollers 15and 16 toward and from the centers. of the pulleys 12, 21 and 13, 22,to'bring the speed of the belt and the rings carried by the table ashereinafter described to absolute equality.

The carriers 2 as shown in detail inFig. 8, are formed with a view totheposs1b1hty Vof resort-ing to hand feed and take 0H in case theautomatic'feed or take olf is not I available. To this end, the tablecontains a plurality of circular apertures 32 arranged in a circleconcentric with the axis and equally spaced. The plugs or carriers 2 aremade of corresponding diameter to fitthe aperture with a tapered orconical portion 33 to provide for convenience in inserting the plug inthe aperture. At the upper end is a shoulder 34 to position the plug andprevent it from dropping throughV and at the Vtop is a knob 35 as ahandle. The rings are 115 held by means vof a pluralityV of, in thepresent instance three, depending arms 36 arranged to swing in a radialplane of the plug about pivots 37 at their upper ends, each arm beingprovided with a suitable spring 38 which tends to swing the lower endoutward and the swinging arms are shouldered at their lower ends at 39forming fingers 40 having an upwardly and inwardly inclined surface 41terminating at the bottom' in a 125 curve 42. The outer or normalposition of the arms is determined by a stop surface or shoulder 43 inthe radial slots 44 in the plug in which they are pivoted. In thisposition of the arms, the surfaces 41 are located in 130 `concentricallywith the plug,

a circle concentric with the plug and slightly greater in diameter thanthe openings in the rings so that when a ring is located and is forcedupward, the arms are pressed inward permitting the rings to pass overthem when they again spring slightly outward owing to the inclinedsurfaces 41 and the rings are gripped by the action of the springs. Therings are Valways handled flat side, z'. e. powder side down, when beingshellacked.

In hand feeding, each plug is withdrawn, a ring is placed on the gripperarmsnthe plug is reseated, the table rotates and brings it in contactwith the shellac belt, the plug is then again withdrawn, the ringunseated, a new one supplied, and the operation repeated.

To economize labor and attain greater speed of operation, an automaticfeed 46 and take-oil: 47 have been provided. The former is illustratedin Figs. 2, 4 and 5 and the latter in Figs. 3, 6 and 7. The feed 46consists of an inclined chute 48 to which the rings are fed flat sidedown by any suitable means as a conveyer belt or the like. Thetimingrings 49 preferably slide down the chute in a continuous line,being released one at a time by the detent 50 pivoted on a transversepivot 51 beneath the chute and having four fingers 52 swinging about thepivot on a lever 53, the fingers being in pairs equally spaced on eachside of the pivot and sufliciently spaced to admit a ring between them.These ngers register with apertures V54 in the chute and are controlledby an arm 55 projecting inward over the tab-le into the path of cams 56carried on the circumference of the table. The lever is raised by eachcam and drops by gravity between the cams. When the lever drops,

the lower fingers 52 are withdrawn from the i chute and the upper onesinserted so that the bottom -ring of the line having been arrested bythe lower fingers 52 is released and the line is held by the upperfingers inserted in front of the next ring. When the lever 55 encountersthe next cam and is raised, the detent is rocked and the upper fingersare withdrawn releasing the line which slides downward until the bottomring is arrested by the lower fingers which are advanced, the partsbeing then as shown in Fig. 5. In this way, the rings are released oneat a time and permitted to slide down to the lower end of the chutewhere they are positioned by the end stop 57 and the V stop 58. Theformer extending directly across the path of the rings, arrests each oneas it advances and the ring then slides to the left in Fig. 2 intocontact with the V, due to the lateral inclination of this portion 59 ofthe chute in the corresponding direction as indicated in the samefigure. This brings the ring into the position illustrated in Figs. 2, 4and 5. 1n Fig. 2, it is apparent that the ring lying on the inclinedportion of the chute is tipped so that its upper edge projects into thepath of the fingers 40 of the carrying mechanism which is advancing tothe right as seen in Fig. 2. The ring is thus engaged and carried on tothe high part of the chute at 60, forcing the ring over the gripperfingers `and causing it to become engaged thereby in the same manner asif pressed against them by hand.

.After each ring has passed the coating mechanism it comes in contactwith the take-off hook 47 in the form of a plate having its upperportion so curved that it enters between the conical incline 61 of thering and the bottom surface 62 of the carrier and the advanceof thetable causes the bend of the hook to act upon the ring in the manner ofa wedge, releasing it from the grip of the fingers. Directly in the rearof each hook in the direction of motion of the carriers, is an uprightplate 63 shown as having a shallow V 64 cut in its surface and directlyin alinement with the centers of the rings and carriers. This plate isso placed and so formed that the circumferential edges of each ring inturn as it drops are engaged by the V, the incline of the plate formingthe V serving to prevent contact with the shellacked surface. The twopoints engaged are at the rear side, still considered from the directionof traverse of the carriage, of the center of the ring so that it istipped forward and inverted as illustrated in Fig. 3 and in invertedposition lands on the incline 65 leading downward and backward from thebend of the hook, the incline being sufficient to cause the rings toslide downward into a suitable receptacle.

1 have thus described my invention specifcally and indetail in orderthat its nature and operation may be fully understood; however thespecific terms herein are used descriptively rather than in theirlimiting sense and the scope of the invention is defined in the claims.

I claim- 1. A method of applying a uniform coating of shellac to atiming ring for shrapnel fuses which consists in moving the rings at apredetermined. speed on a fixed path, dipping shellac from a supply at auniform rate and bringing it into rolling contact with the surface ofeach timing ring-in succession without brushing or rubbing of thematerial relatively to the ring, the material being carried during thecontact at a rate equal to that at which the timing rings are moving,and reimmersing the unused portion of shellac dipped from the supplywith suilicient frequency to maintain it in liquid condition.

2. 1n a machine for coating timing rings for shrapnel fuses, means forpositively engaging the rings and moving them on a fixed predeterminedpath at a predetermined speed', a receptacle for liquid shellac, a beltdipping in the coating' material with a pulley over whichr the belt ispassed immediately adjacent the path of the timing rings so that thebelt is brought intocontact with the timing rings as they pass, meansfor moving the belt at a speed equal to the speed of the timing ringsand in the same direction, and means for equalizing the coating ofshellac on the belt.

, 3. In a machine for coating timing rings for shrapnel fuses, means forpositively engaging the ringsfrom above and moving them in a xed path ata predetermined speed, arre'ceptacle for liquid shellac, a belt dippingin the shellac for the greater portion of its length with a pulley overwhich the belt is passed immediately adjacent the path vof the timingrings so that the belt is brought intocontact with the faces of thetiming rings as they pass, means for moving the belt at a speed equal tothe speed of the timing rings and in the same direction, and means forequalizing the coating of shellac on the belt.

4. In a machine for coating timing rings lfor shrapnel fuses, means forpositively engaging the rings and moving them on a -fiXed path at apredetermined speed, the surface to be coated being parallel to theplane of motion, a receptacle for shellac, a belt 'dipping in theshellac for the greater portion of its length with a pulley over whichthe vbelt is passed `immediately adJacent the ypath of the timing ringsso that the belt is brought into contact with the timing rings as theypass, means for moving the belt at a speed equal to the speed of thetiming rings and in the same direction, and means for equalizing thecoating of shellac on the belt.

' 5*. In a machine for coating timing rings for shrapnel fuses, meansfor positively en-V gaging the rings and moving` them on a fixed path ata predetermined speed, a receptacle for shellac, a belt dipping in theshellac for the greater portion of its length with a pulley over whichthe belt is passed immedilately beneath 'the path of the timingrings sothat the belt is brought into contact with the timing` rings as 'theypass, means for moving the belt at a speed equal to the speed of thevtiming rings and in the same direction, means for equalizing thecoating of shellac on the outside of the belt, and means for cleaningthe shellac from the inside of thebelt where it comes in contact withlthe pulleys.

6. `In a machine for shellacking timing rings for shrapnel fuses, arotary table with a. series of apertures arranged in a circle concentricwith the aXis of the table, carrier plugs for the rings fitting theapertures,

yeach having a plurality of arm's'moun'ted to swing toward and from eachother, means tending to swing4 each arm away r,from the others, the endsof the arms being fori'ned to receive and grip Athe rings, a reservoir Yof shellac and means in thepath offthe rings for carrying themshella'cfromV the reservoir and applying it to the` exposedv surface of eachring.

7. In a machine for shellacking timing rings for shrapnel fuses, meansfor presenting shellac, a plurality of means for engaging the rings andmoving them in a fixed path past the presenting means, each consistingof a plurality of gripper arms, means tending to spread the arms,^afeeding mechanism consisting of a chute the upper portion of which isinclined in the direction of a its length and the lower portion of whichis directly beneath the path' of the "engaging means, and inclinedupward in the direction of the motion of the rings so that one side 'ofeach ring fed is brought into the path of the arms causing-they` ring tobe carried forward by the gripper arms going up the lateral incline,forcing the ring lover the gripper arms, and a detent engaging the ringsas they are fed whereby they are presentedone at a time.

8. In a machine for shella'cking timing ringsfor shrapnel fuses, meansfor presenting shellac, a plurality of means for engaging the rings andmoving them lin a fixed path past the presenting means, each consistingof' a plurality of gripperarms, means tending to` spread the arms, afeeding mecha* msm consisting of a chute the upper` portion of which isinclinedv in the'direction of its length and the lower portion of whichis directly beneath the path of the engaging means and inclined upwardin the direction of motion of the rings so that one side of each ringfed is brought Vinto the path of the arms causing the ring to be carriedforward by the gripper arms going up Vthe lateral incline, forcing thering over the gripper arms, and a detent engaging the rings as they arefed whereby they are presented one at a time, the moving member carryingthe rings also carrying means for operating the detent. Y

9. In a machine for shellacking timing rings, depending means forgripping the rings and carrying them forward with the faces downward,shellacking means for engaging them from below as they advance, andmeans for removing the timing rings from the gripping .means consistingof a hook beneath the gripping means which serves to disengage the ringsas they pass 'and an upright member transverse to the path of the ringshaving a depressed central portion to engage the edges of the rings inthe rear of the Vcenter as they drop 'and turningv them over so thatthey fall on the dry as distinguished from the shellacked side.

10. In a machine for coating timing rings of shiapnel fuses, means forpositively engag-ing the rings and moving them on a fixed predeterminedpath at a predetermined speed, a receptacle for liquid coating material,a carrier dipping into the coating material and moving on a fixed pathimmediately adjacent the path of the timing rings so that the carrier isbrought into contact with the timing rings as they pass, the carriermoving at a surface speed equal to the speed of the timing` rings and inthe same direction, and means for equalizing the coatingmaterial on thecarrier.

Signed by me at Mount Washington, Baltimore oounty, Maryland, this 16thday of September 1916.

ELLIS B. LONG.

Witnesses CHAS. B. ENsoR, N. EDWARD KIRK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1D. C.

